260RemGuy: First let me say "I am NOT a contrary"!
I am adding my experience with Eley 17 Mach2 ammo as, an experience that differs from yours, not to be contrary, but to prove the old adage "every Rifle is an individual". - I might offer also that each ammunition can differ in different guns!
Anyway on to my experience in one special Rifle in caliber 17 Mach2.
One of my 4 (four) Varmint type Rifles in 17 Mach2 caliber is a beautiful (and extremely accurate!) Kimber SVT (Stainless Varmint Target) with Leupold 6.5x20 EFR scope. When it was new I took it to the range with 2 brands of 17 Mach2 ammo available at the time - 17 grain Hornady V-Max and Eley 17 grain V-Max.
The results on that dead calm first day was:
Hornady 5 shots at 50 yards = .257"
Eley 5 shots at 50 yards = .562"
I used up the relatively small amount of Eley ammo testing it a time or two more at 100 yards on latter days against the Hornady - and the Hornady repeatedly shot noticeably/slightly better all along.
Anyway the Eley ammunition shot fairly well in my 17 Mach2's but I went for the Hornady as it was easier to find and at the time cheaper.
I had friends that were aware of my "testing" of the 17 Mach2 ammo's at the time and they derided me that "it was all the same - it's all made by CCI"!
I bet five different people told me this - but I am sure the 17 Mach2 "offered" by Eley was different in powder/priming compound as the smell of the burnt powder after each shot was significantly different.
Maybe Eley asked CCI to use a different powder in the ammo marked "Eley" but it shot different and sure as heck smells different!
Anyway I am firmly convinced that every Rifle is an individual and probably every factory ammunition must be individually tested as well.
Long live the 17 Mach2.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy
